The Classic Portfolio is a collection of pictures by members of the Visual Journalism Group. It has been made into an audiovisual presentation and has been seen by many hundreds of people in clubs, colleges, and regional meetings in various parts of the country.

This extract of the Classic Portfolio concerns the place of the portrait in visual journalism. To most, the portrait photograph is a careful, well thought out image of a person that tries to capture some of the subject's personality, and usually tries to flatter them at the same time. The photojournalist is often looking for the same thing, but the picture must also please an editor. The picture must also relate to the story, which means the picture must support or expand the written word. It must say something, impart information, add visual meat to the bones of the story, and arrest the eye.

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Actor Nicole Williamson. The photographer often has to deal with personalities who are dashing from one place to another and can only spare a few minutes. Frank Martin caught Nicole Williamson in the foyer of the theatre where he was rehearsing. There was only a deserted bar with one over head spot- light, so a sheet of white paper reflected the light up to depict the actor, who was playing the part of a 'private eye'.

John Hocknell was doing a feature on a stunt pilot, so what better place to get an atmospheric shot than from the passenger seat of the subject's plane. The tilt of the aircraft, the old fashioned goggles and the tiny windscreen add impact and tell the viewer what is going on.